TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD miner Odida Underwood was ordered to post $500,000 bail yesterday, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry charged with causing the death of Chief Librarian of the National Library, Gillian Thompson, on Christmas Eve day.

DEFENDANT: Odida Underwood

The defendant, of Lot 197 Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge that said, on Tuesday, December 24, at North Road and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, he drove motor car PPP 8655 in a dangerous manner resulting in the woman’s death. He faces three other charges and pleaded guilty to all, which said, on the same day, he drove the same vehicle without being the holder of a driver’s licence, the vehicle was not covered for third party risk and he had taken and driven it away without the consent of the owner. Police Corporal Bharat Mangru, prosecuting, told the Court that, around 14:15 hrs, the defendant was the driver of the motor vehicle on the western side of Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and failed to stop at the intersection and, as a result collided with a motor van. The prosecutor said, as a result, the van hit the concrete culvert and Thompson, who was seated in the left front seat of the vehicle, suffered injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. The prosecutor did not object to pre-trial liberty for the defendant but requested that Underwood report every Friday at Brickdam Police Station and lodge his passport, commencing January 10, 2014, until the case is called again on January 31. Attorney-at-law Mr. Adrian Thompson, representing Underwood, claimed there was an occurrence which caused his client to be compelled to take the vehicle and drive in response to an emergency in relation to his daughter. The lawyer admitted that the defendant was not licensed to drive a motor vehicle but begged for leniency. Defence counsel said the car Underwood was driving did not come into contact with the deceased but he was charged because he is not a licensed driver.